Focus Robert Welch Kit deBretton Gordon, head of design at Robert Welch showcases the elegant hollow-handled Palm Air cutlery, a new design created by pushing the manufacturing process to the limits
Kemble Texture
Palm Air
Radford Air
70 years of iconic British design at Robert Welch
Iconic British design company Robert Welch celebrates its 70th anniversary this year with a raft of innovative new cutlery designs. With a rich design heritage stretching back to 1955, the new patterns take their inspiration from both the Robert Welch archive and its global markets – which stretch from the picturesque Cotswolds to the Middle East and beyond. From Stanton, the first design to be produced under the Robert Welch brand – still at the heart of every Pizza Express restaurant experience – to new Palm Air, its latest statement cutlery range, innovation is today, as it has always been, front and centre. Palm Air, set for launch this month is an evolution of Palm Bright – a highly decorative range of cutlery originally designed for Emirates’ first and business class passengers. It is now available across Robert Welch’s hospitality, trade and B2C channels. With exquisitely fluted handles, inspired by the sweeping fronds of exotic palms, and mirror-polished bright finish, Palm Air is a hollowhandled design. Made from the finest 18/10 stainless steel, it is intentionally light, balances perfectly in the hand and sits on the table in sculptural form – reflecting the light to create a unique dining experience. Palm Air is part of the Master Collection, part of a trio which 52 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
includes the 3.5 and 5.0 Collections. Palm Air’s innovative profile was conceived by Kit deBretton Gordon, head of design. “It’s such an exciting
cutlery range in the world. For decades, it’s been Robert Welch’s bestselling cutlery, with more than 70 pieces in the collection from traditional place settings to lobster
“The Air concept plays with notions of traditional cutlery design and pushes manufacturing techniques. The hollow handles are made from two shells which are welded together and skillfully joined to the blade, then hand-polished into a seamless single piece” Kit deBretton Gordon, head of design, Robert Welch
complement to our Palm cutlery,” she says. “The Air concept plays with notions of traditional cutlery design and pushes manufacturing techniques. The hollow handles are made from two shells which are welded together and skillfully joined to the blade, then hand-polished into a seamless single piece. “The result is an elevated statement piece which will become a talking point at the table and a tactile piece in the hand.”
Palm Air joins Radford Air Radford Air is part of the Radford stable, the largest stainless-steel
picks, oyster forks and olive spoons. Today, it’s available in a mirrorpolished bright finish and satin. Early next year, a new, heritage vintage finish will also be unveiled. Since its launch in 2002, more than 24 million pieces of Radford have been sold. That’s almost two every minute – one knife, fork or spoon for every person living in Australia. It’s enough to stretch 5,000km – almost the distance from London to New York.
New designs for 2025 Other new designs unveiled this year include Fairford Bright. Its geometric, linear Art Deco design is a nod to Harley, an old English Parish
pattern inspired by Greco-Roman architecture. Kemble, a new, contemporary range available in a bright and textured finish, is elegant and slender. Each knife, fork and spoon tapers to a graceful point with a subtle indent for added reflection at the table. Kemble Texture features a sleek, bright finish complemented by a striking sandstone texture within a fluted bevel for depth and sophistication. Kemble Bright has a beautifully tapered profile with a subtle indent for comfort and style. Kit’s organic design reflects the tapering leaves and foliage she found on her visits to a Cotswold arboretum, close to the 18th century Silk Mill where each iconic Robert Welch piece has been created since he set up his drawing board there in 1955. “I wanted to create an elegant cutlery range with a sleek and graceful form,” she said. “It’s jewellery for the table.” As Robert Welch enters its eighth decade, the business is helmed by Robert’s son Rupert, and daughter, Alice, who continue to build on their late father’s remarkable legacy. “This 70-year milestone is not only to honour our father’s design legacy,” they said. “But about looking forward, continuing to create stainless steel products with the same passion and innovation that has defined Robert Welch since 1955.”